“If the headline of an advertisement is poor, the best copywriter in the world can’t write copy that will sell goods. They haven’t a chance. Because the headline is poor, the copy will not be read”
--John Caples (Tested Advertising Methods)

Readers respond better to advertisement based on the headline more than any other element in an ad, even the design. The headline is the real workhorse of any marketing and advertising copy. There are documented reports that confirm copywriters increasing response by up to 400% just by altering the headline of their marketing piece. This is rarely accomplished when altering any other element of the copy or design.

What is a headline?
As simple as it sounds, there may be a whole science behind the concept. A headline is a bigger block of text commonly seen at the top of advertising or Web page. Simple, right? Ok, so here we go; here are the types of headline.

1. Secondary Headline: These are smaller headlines located below, along the side or above the main head.
2. Subheads: Commonly used to organize and break up the body of your copy
3. Subject lines: Seen on email campaigns
4. Section headers: Commonly used in longer promotional copies, such as catalogs and Web sites
5. Stoppers: Positioned in unexpected places of the body copy to highlight certain matters and gain attention

How do you create a winning headline?
There are mainly two common types of headlines used in promotional pieces: Teaser Headlines and Benefit-Oriented Headlines. Hence the name, a teaser headline attempts to gain attention from the reader by teasing them into reading the piece. It can be a fun play on words, a puzzle, a joke or a curious statement. Below is a headline on an ad for a very luxurious and expensive car.

No, we do not offer mortgages

The idea here is that this company was offering 1 percent financing on their fancy cars, which at that time were priced over $150k. The teasing part here is that you don’t get to discover the benefits until you actually read the content of the body copy. This writer was in hope of intriguing the readers who were curious into deciphering the true meaning of the headline. Anyone with a bit of curiosity will just not be able to help him/herself.

Teaser headlines are really a gamble, therefore you need to be creative enough to captivate your public just by looking at it, otherwise they will not bother to read the rest of the ad and the benefit of reading the rest will be lost. Teaser headlines often do not contain even a hint of the key benefit or information concerning the offer (1). Benefit-Oriented Headlines are less risky. They express loud and clear the benefit to the reader right on the first few carefully chosen words. So imagine if you were to rewrite the above fancy car ad headline, your approach may be more towards this:

Stop Dreaming about it!
1% Financing On All Vehicles Until the End of the Month

Now, this may not seem as clever or funny as the first ad, but it is definitely much more substantial and strategic. This gives you a greater chance to standing out and getting your reader’s attention. Even if the reader decides not to read the copy, they will get the gist of your message and will remember it. They may come back later if the need arises, they will find you because they know what your message is about.

How do you generate ideas for your headline?

• Use the word how to
  “how to save a bunch of money on your car insurance”
• Put an offer right on the headline
  “One month free on our digital TV package. Try it now!”
• Use a customer testimonial
  “After a single application of AMANDIA, 3 hours later my filtration was finally gone!”
• Provide a helpful advise
  “5 Proven ways to prevent a huge hangover”
• Offer a free gift
  “Get a free sample of the best Omega3 supplement, with at least 3 times the power of any other brand!”
• Use the word discover
  “Discover the best solution to your…”
• Make a seemingly outrageous claim
  “Sticks to plastic better than plastic does”
• Mention one of your awards
  “Awarded the best anti-filtration solution by JD Power and Associates”
• Promise to turn dreams into reality
  “We can turn you into a successful Web developer in two weeks”

When brainstorming around your headlines, create a list of those which sound more fit for your business and purpose. Turn seemingly useless headlines into a successful eye-catch by tweaking around. Ask others about their first reaction when reading your headlines. Use the one who gets you the most votes.

Ref: The everything guide to writing copy